The Third Ward's story starts with a purchase. In 1872, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Jack Yates and Elias Dibble bought 10 acres for $800 so their community could celebrate Juneteenth, and Emancipation Park is still here, the oldest park in Houston. During the Jim Crow era it was the city's only public park open to Black residents, and after a $33.6 million renovation it reopened in 2017 with Juneteenth back at its center. Around it, Texas Southern University and the University of Houston bring students and energy, and Emancipation Avenue carries the memory of a blues and nightlife corridor. Project Row Houses, founded by artist Rick Lowe in 1993, turned a stretch of shotgun houses into a living art project where visiting artists transform houses twice a year. Lunch is easy: Frenchy's has been frying chicken on Scott Street since 1969.
What to expect
- Emancipation Park has a free 55-space lot on Tuam Street, across from the ballfield.
- The Purple Line runs down Scott Street; Elgin/Third Ward and TSU/UH stops serve the area.
- Around Project Row Houses it's street parking; watch for residential permit signs.
- In Emancipation Park, dogs stay leashed, glass is banned and alcohol is not allowed.
What to do
- Walk Emancipation Park and read its history
- See the current artist round at Project Row Houses
- Get chicken at Frenchy's on Scott Street
Where to eat nearby
- Frenchy's Chicken
- Doshi House
What to see
- Emancipation Park
- Project Row Houses
- Emancipation Avenue
- 10 acres bought for $800 in 1872; oldest park in Houston; reopened 2017 after a $33.6 million renovationEmancipation Park
- Founded 1993 by Rick Lowe; 39 properties across five blocksProject Row Houses
- Opened on Scott Street on July 3, 1969Frenchy's Chicken
- Renamed from Dowling Street in 2017Emancipation Avenue